Local Road Management Manual 227 (EIS) for environmentally critical projects (ECPs) and projects within environmentally critical areas (ECAs). No ECP or project within an ECA may operate without an environmental compliance certiifcate (ECC) issued by DENR. Presidential Proclamation No. 2146, Series of 1981, later gave more technical details about the areas and types of projects that were considered environmentally critical. Several reifnements have been made in the PEISS to improve its effectiveness as a planning, management, and regulatory tool against the country’s environmental problems. The DENR has always strived to strengthen the system by continuously introducing new features and requirements as economic realities change and as the Filipino people grow in environmental awareness. The latest of these improvement efforts is DAO 2003-30, which supersedes all previous orders on PEISS implementation. DAO 2003- 30 vests in the DENR secretary and the EMB director and regional directors the authority to grant ECCs or deny their issuance. According to DAO 2003-30, the basic policy and operating principles behind the implementation of the PEISS are as follows: a. The PEISS primarily assesses the direct and indirect impact of a project on the biophysical and human environment and makes sure that appropriate measures are taken to protect and preserve the environment; b. The PEISS aids project proponents in including environmental considerations in project planning by determining the project’s potential environmental impacts and its corresponding mitigation measures; c. Project proponents are responsible for determining and disclosing all relevant information necessary for a methodical assessment of the environmental impact of their projects; d. The EMB reviews each ECC application against these three general criteria: (i) environmental impact must be considered in project planning, (ii) the environmental impact assessment (EIA) must be technically sound and the proposed mitigation measures effective, and (iii) social acceptability must be based on the participation of an informed public; e. Effective regulatory review of the ECC application depends largely on timely, full, and accurate disclosure of relevant